The talented offenses, high stakes and frigid weather provide a playoff feel today in Bozeman as Montana State plays host to Idaho State in a Big Sky Conference game.

The fact Mike Kramer is coming back to town adds a little more emotion.

"It's a big game," said Bobcat coach Rob Ash. "There's a lot of plots and subplots and storylines. Two teams that are duking it out for the right to remain standing. It's exactly where you want to be in November. We're right in the hunt and control our own destiny. Guys are pumped up and ready to go."

The Bobcats, ranked 12th and 13th in the two polls devoted to FCS football, are 5-1 in the Big Sky and 7-3 overall. So are the unranked Bengals, who have won five straight under the direction of Kramer, the league's comeback king if ever there was one.

Bobcat fans don't have to reminded that Kramer, now in his fourth season at ISU and the benefactor of a new contract extension, knows how to win in Bozeman. The dynamic coach led MSU to abundant success, earning a share of three league championships in seven seasons, before he was relieved of his duties in a controversial decision eight years ago.

"Let's say that there's an open wound that never heals," Kramer said this week on a conference call. "I love the fans and I love the kids who played for us there and always will. I'll never forget what they did for us and how they helped us. And I think all those guys who played for us need to be extremely, extremely proud of what they put together.

"It's really not relevant to Saturday, to anybody but maybe me. But obviously it's something that means a lot to me."

For sure, it means a lot to the national playoff race when the Cats and Bengals kick it off at 1:40 amid expected single-digit temperatures (ROOT sports, FM-102.7).

"It's going to be a tremendous game," Ash said. "They're playing really well. They're one of the top offenses in the nation right now."

The Bengals lead the Big Sky in total offense (550-yard average), while MSU ranks third (498 ypg). Throw in the fact both squads also give up a lot of yardage, ranking 10th and 11th in the 13-team league, respectively, in total defense and it seems likely a shootout will develop.

Idaho State has a balanced attack that includes halfback Xavier Finney, the top rusher in the Big Sky with a whopping 245 carries for 1,360 yards and 14 scores. Senior quarterback Justin Arias is also a league-leader, with 3,384 yards passing and 32 touchdowns.

"They've got tall guys who can go and get the ball, and they're not afraid to throw it down the field when they're covered," Ash said. "Because they believe in those guys to go up and make a play."

The Bobcats are led defensively by senior linebacker Alex Singleton, who earned league player-of-the-week honors a week ago with 17 stops in MSU's 29-22 victory over Portland State.

"He's been fantastic," said Ash, who is 64-30 with eight consecutive winning seasons after replacing Kramer in Bozeman. "He's so instinctive right now. He has so much experience and reminds me now of where Jody Owens got to as a senior. There was no play you could run that they haven't seen multiple times. They read it quickly. He just goes and has been phenomenal."

The Bobcats haven't been as balanced on offense as late. Though sophomore quarterback Dakota Prukop continues to rack up the rushing yards, 932 on the season with 13 scores, he hasn't thrown a TD pass for three games. Last week the MSU passing game produced just 93 yards.

Ash was asked if he's concerned about the lack of balance.

"Yes," he said. "We felt like our passing game was a tick off, just a little off on Saturday and we've been working hard to get that fixed. We missed a wide open receiver a couple of times, and we had a couple shots down the field that we should have pulled the trigger on ... but by the same token a lot of our good running plays come on passes that are called and Dakota scrambles ... So it's hard to complain."

Prukop ranks third in the Big Sky in total offense (321-yard average) and is the first QB in Bobcat history to record five 100-yard rushing games in one season.

The Bobcats likely won't have injured halfback Shawn Johnson this week. The senior who owns the MSU career all-purpose yardage record (4,477 yards) has a pulled hamstring.

That means Anthony Knight and Helena native Gunnar Brekke will share ball-carrying duties. Brekke scored twice last week, while Knight has nine touchdowns on the season.

Idaho State's resurgence has been surprising; the Bengals were ranked 12th out of 13 in the preseason Big Sky Coaches poll.

But then again, it should not shock anyone that Kramer is once again a winner. He was successful at Eastern Washington and Montana State prior to landing his current post.

"He's done a great job," Ash said. "He's been the Big Sky forever and he's won everywhere he's gone. I have a lot of respect for that, I totally do."

Ash, who in 34 years as a college head coach is 240-129-5, is among the winningest coaches in the country at any level.

He bristles a bit at comparisons with Kramer, and rightfully so.

"I'm proud of what we've done here," Ash said. "I feel like it's my program now and set up with my philosophy and standards and priorities. And we're still winning. I'm excited about that and I'm not comparing it to anybody else. I just feel like the ownership belongs to me now."

A big game in the Big Sky? No doubt about it. And so much more than that, too.

"It's definitely an elimination game," said Ash of the league title chase. "The winner is still in the hunt and the loser is out.